{"id":30357,"date":"2026-05-24T09:25:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T09:25:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/24\/greys-anatomy-star-sarah-drew-shares-fathers-faith-advice-on-fear\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T09:25:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T09:25:57","slug":"greys-anatomy-star-sarah-drew-shares-fathers-faith-advice-on-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/24\/greys-anatomy-star-sarah-drew-shares-fathers-faith-advice-on-fear\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star Sarah Drew shares father’s faith advice on fear"},"content":{"rendered":"


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NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Sarah Drew has never forgotten the advice she received from her father, a pastor, that changed her life.<\/p>\n

The “Grey\u2019s Anatomy” alum is starring in the new Lifetime film airing Saturday, “When I Said I Do,” as Ali Corley, a widowed search-and-rescue K-9 handler who rebuilt her life and found love again after losing her husband on the job.<\/p>\n

The actress told Fox News Digital that faith has always been the foundation of her life. During her darkest struggles, she turned to her father for words of wisdom rooted in the Bible.<\/p>\n

PATRICIA HEATON: I\u2019M A MOM ON SCREEN AND OFF. BUILDING A FAMILY IS A JOURNEY OF LOVE AND COMMITMENT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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“Grey’s Anatomy” alum Sarah Drew is starring in the Lifetime film “When I Said I Do,” which is inspired by Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black\u2019s song of the same name.<\/span> (Paul Archuleta\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“One of the biggest, scariest risks that I leaped into was choosing to become a mom,” the 45-year-old told Fox News Digital. “I took the risk, and I was pregnant. I was probably about six months pregnant, and I had been having panic attacks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019d been so caught up with anxiety about all of it,” she admitted. “I was worried I was going to screw up. I was worried for my kids that I wasn\u2019t going to have the necessary selflessness that\u2019s required. I was worried that I was too self-absorbed to do this well. [I was worried that] I would resent the fact that [my kids] were \u2026 demanding things from me.<\/p>\n

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In the Lifetime movie, “When I Said I Do,” Sarah Drew stars opposite Eric Johnson.<\/span> (Lifetime)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“There were so many big fears that I had walking into [motherhood],” she said.<\/p>\n

WATCH: SARAH DREW REVEALS THE ADVICE THAT HELPED HER OVERCOME FEAR<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the time, Drew was starring in “Grey\u2019s Anatomy,”<\/a> one of America\u2019s top television shows. She and her husband, Peter Lanfer, were preparing to welcome their first child after a decade of marriage. From the outside, life seemed picture-perfect, but behind the scenes, Drew was overwhelmed by fear, terrified of becoming a mother and uncertain she was ready for the challenges ahead.<\/p>\n

Drew did what she knew best and reached out to her father.<\/p>\n

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“When I Said I Do” premieres Saturday, May 23, 2026, at 8 p.m. It’s available for streaming the next day.<\/span> (Lifetime)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“I remember writing to my dad and just saying, \u2018Do you have any advice or any wisdom or any Scripture that you can point me toward that could help combat this fear? Because it\u2019s really overwhelming,\u2019” she recalled.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“And he wrote back with some really lovely Bible verses that I have taken to heart for sure.<\/p>\n

“But the biggest thing that stuck with me was that the best way to combat fear is with aggressive gratitude,” said Drew. “And I was like, \u2018Tell me more.\u2019 \u2026 He calls it \u2018aggressive\u2019 because it\u2019s not always easy when you first start practicing gratitude because sometimes you\u2019re just in a mind spiral, and all you can see is the scary and the dark.”<\/p>\n

Her father urged Drew to confront her fears and anxieties with faith<\/a>. He encouraged her to speak aloud about the blessings God had given her, even in moments of uncertainty.<\/p>\n

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Actress Sarah Drew and husband Peter Lanfer attend the 2018 Creative Arts Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 8, 2018.<\/span> (Paul Archuleta\/FilmMagic)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“You\u2019re replacing the scary and the dark with, \u2018I\u2019m grateful that there is oxygen in my lungs. I am grateful that I have a roof over my head. Look, I have this beautiful meal. I\u2019m so grateful for this. Thank you for this. Thank you for that.\u2019 All of a sudden, your brain chemistry starts to shift.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Sarah Drew and her mom arrive at the Rosie Pope Maternity store opening event in Santa Monica March 29, 2012.<\/span> (Michael Tran\/FilmMagic)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“You start bushwhacking a new pathway in your neurotransmitters so that you\u2019re literally looking toward the good things,” said Drew.<\/p>\n

“You\u2019re looking for the good things because you\u2019re thanking God or the universe or whoever for the good things, and you\u2019re in the practice of doing it. And, honestly, I started practicing that, and it has been the greatest combatant of fear in my life for me.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Whenever I\u2019m feeling really scared about something, I go straight to gratitude, and that generally turns the corner for me. As soon as I start being grateful for things, I start noticing more things to be grateful for, and it transforms.”<\/p>\n

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Sarah Dre with her husband, Peter Lanfer, and their children, Micah and Hannah, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles June 25, 2022.<\/span> (Gilbert Flores\/Variety\/Penske Media)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Today, Drew, a devout Christian, is a proud mom to two children. Since exiting “Grey\u2019s Anatomy” in 2018, she has written two Christmas movies for Lifetime and has kept busy acting, People magazine<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n

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Sarah Drew appears as April Kepner in the “Grey’s Anatomy” episode “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding),” which aired April 14, 2022.<\/span> (Eric McCandless\/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Drew said she was instantly drawn to “When I Said I Do,” a romantic drama<\/a> inspired by Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black\u2019s 1999 hit duet, because of its powerful message of hope, resilience and perseverance. Those uplifting, heartfelt stories with deeper meaning, she explained, are exactly the kind she feels passionate about telling as an actress.<\/p>\n

Looking back, Drew said her parents never doubted her decision to pursue a career in Hollywood. Instead, they embraced it and encouraged her every step of the way.<\/p>\n

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Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew appear in a scene from the “Grey’s Anatomy” episode “Look Up Child,” which aired on ABC May 6, 2021.<\/span> (Richard Cartwright\/ABC)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“I love them so much, and they\u2019re such good people,” said Drew. “And for them, they always recognized my acting as a gift that was given to me to be used for goodness. For them, it was an outpouring of the love of God. And so, there were never any guardrails in terms of, \u2018Oh, that\u2019s a scary place to go into.\u2019 It was like, \u2018No, look at the opportunity that you have to use your gift and love people over there.\u2019<\/p>\n

LIKE WHAT YOU\u2019RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Sarah Drew hosts the Festival of Arts Celebrity Benefit Event in Laguna Beach, Calif., Aug. 25, 2018.<\/span> (Michael Kovac\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“My mom\u2019s parting words to me when she dropped me off at college<\/a> were, \u2018Go out there and love some people,\u2019” said Drew. “That\u2019s always been the motivation that my parents raised in me. First, you love people, then everything else happens underneath that. But the first thing you do is go out, and you love people.”<\/p>\n

Over the years, Drew has been inspired by the 1981 historical drama “Chariots of Fire,” which tells the true story of Eric Liddell, a devout Christian who refused to run an Olympic race on a Sunday because of his religious convictions. The movie\u2019s title comes from a line in William Blake\u2019s poem “Jerusalem,” symbolizing noble purpose and spiritual strength.<\/p>\n

WATCH: LISA HARTMAN BLACK SHARES SECRET TO LASTING MARRIAGE WITH CLINT BLACK<\/strong><\/p>\n

“[Eric\u2019s] sister wants him to \u2026 become a missionary,” said Drew. “He\u2019s like, \u2018No, I\u2019ve got to keep running.\u2019 And she just can\u2019t understand. She\u2019s like, \u2018How is running more important than being a missionary?\u2019 And he goes, \u2018Well, when I run, I feel God\u2019s pleasure.\u2019 And all through high school, all through middle school, that was my theme song.<\/p>\n

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A scene from the 1981 movie “Chariots of Fire.”<\/span> (Pictorial Press Ltd.)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“When I act, I feel God\u2019s pleasure,” she noted. “That\u2019s what it is. It\u2019s a beautiful, divine thing I feel \u2014 like I\u2019m dancing with God a little bit whenever I get to play a role. It\u2019s really sweet and meaningful. It\u2019s an expression of my faith more than anything else.”<\/p>\n

These days, Drew has plenty of reasons to feel grateful.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Sarah Drew poses onstage during the American Heart Association’s Red Dress Collection Concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on Jan. 30, 2025.<\/span> (Randy Brooke\/WireImage)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“I don\u2019t want any moment to be motivated by, \u2018What\u2019s this going to get me? How is this going to be a stepping stone for the next thing? How many followers should I have?\u2019 All the things that come with gaining notoriety,” she said.<\/p>\n

“My purpose has always been to make a connection with people through storytelling,” she said. “My younger self wasn\u2019t reading the reviews. She didn\u2019t care if this was taking her into another place in her career. She didn\u2019t care if this was starting her career. She was just soaking up every single second of this experience because it had been the most magical thing that had ever happened to her.”<\/p>\n

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Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n


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